This invention relates generally to the field of message center enclosures for indoor, outdoor, and transportation applications. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved message center enclosure that greatly reduces manufacturing and assembly costs without compromising the enclosure""s function or aesthetics. The invention also relates to a method for making the improved message center.
In the art of message center enclosures, including light emitting diode (xe2x80x9cLEDxe2x80x9d) message center enclosures, two manufacturing methods are primarily, currently in use. The first manufacturing method involves forming a sheet metal enclosure, which involves the steps of shearing a flat piece of sheet metal, punching the required holes into the sheet metal, forming additional metal parts, and welding the sheet metal and the parts together. This method requires expensive and time-consuming operations such as machine set-up, welding and metal finishing, and is typically only cost effective for large production volumes. The second manufacturing method involves an aluminum extrusion case and additional sheet metal parts. In this method the case is extruded in the desired shape; therefore, most of the machine set-up time and costs are eliminated. Although this method is better suited for a message center enclosure due to the lower production volumes and the large number of different required lengths for message centers, this method still requires costly secondary operations, such as drilling, tapping and punching holes, for the mounting of additional components such as a front panel, a power supply, circuit boards, etc. Secondary operations can increase the manufacturing cost of an extrusion design by 100 percent or more.
Message centers are used in a variety of indoor and outdoor applications that require message center enclosures to have design features that protect the message center from one or more of the following conditions: liquids, ice, vibration, dust, dirt, lint, fibers, or incidental contact. Message center enclosures typically require different enclosure features to meet different applications. Message center enclosures, capable of operating in a variety of applications, typically have higher costs due to the increased number of required design features and the cost of the secondary operations in the manufacture of such enclosures.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide, a multi-purpose message center enclosure that is less expensive to manufacture. What is needed is a message center enclosure that eliminates most secondary operations such as the drilling, tapping and punching of holes. What is also needed is a message center enclosure design that is readily adaptable to most indoor and outdoor applications. It would be advantageous to provide a method of making a message center that is less expensive, quicker, cleaner, and safer.
According to one exemplary embodiment, display enclosure is disclosed which includes a case and a driver board assembly configured to provide signals to a display. The message center enclosure also includes a clamp assembly having a head configured to slidably engage the case and a protrusion configured to secure the driver board assembly to the case.
According to another exemplary embodiment, display enclosure is disclosed which includes a case having a first end positioned opposite a second end and a driver board assembly inserted into the case configured to provide signals to a display. The message center enclosure also includes a clamp assembly coupled to one of the case and the driver board assembly, the clamp assembly configured to secure the driver board assembly to the case.
According to yet another exemplary embodiment, message center enclosure is disclosed which includes a case, a driver board assembly configured to generate a display, and means for coupling a pivot clamp assembly to the case. The message center enclosure further includes means for coupling the driver board assembly to the case, the means for coupling the driver board assembly devoid of apertures through the driver board assembly for coupling the driver board assembly to the case.
According to yet another exemplary embodiment, method of manufacturing a message center enclosure includes obtaining a case having opposing first and second ends and at least one pivot clamp assembly and sliding a driver board assembly into the case. The method of manufacturing a message center enclosure further includes sliding the pivot clamp assembly into the case.